1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of applying an electric conductive layer to selected portions of a mounting frame or foam mount, and to the foam mount, and more particularly, to applying the electric conductive layer to inner surface of one side of the foam mount, and applying a non-electric conductive layer to inner surface of opposite side of the foam mount. The invention further relates to a mask or a masking device that can be used in the practice of the non-limiting embodiments of the method of the invention.
2. Discussion of the Technical Problem
At the present time there is a desire to provide electronic shielding around the body of commercial aircrafts such that electronic signals to and from electronic equipment of the passengers, e.g. cell phones and computers within the commercial aircraft, are only transmitted by and received through the antenna of the aircraft. One of the advantages of this arrangement is the elimination of uncontrolled transmission of signals through the windows of the aircraft, which transmitted signals can interfere with transmitted signals required to operate the aircraft. As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, to attain this goal it becomes necessary to prevent transmission of the signals through the cabin windows and through the door windows of the aircraft.
In one approach to accomplish this goal, a window pane having an electric conductive layer is mounted in a foam mount having an electric conductive layer. The window pane can be an electro-chromic window, or one or more glass sheets having an electric conductive layer or film over the major surface of one or more of the sheets. More particularly and as is known in the art, the electro chromic window includes an electro chromic medium between two spaced electrodes. Each of the electrodes include an electric conductive layer or film on a major surface of a glass sheet. The electric conductive layer or film provides a radio frequency (“RF”) shielding.
The outboard surface of the foam mount has an electric conductive layer, e.g. an RF shielding layer or coating. The inboard surface of the foam mount is coated with a non-electrical conductive decorative paint to compliment the décor of the aircraft interior. The foam mount having the window pane is positioned in the window opening of the aircraft between an outboard structural ply and an inboard protective overlay sheet. The conductive layer on the foam mount is electrically connected with the aircraft wall to connect the electric conductive layer of the foam mount to the electric ground of the aircraft. With this arrangement, the electric conductive layers of the electro-chromic window and the electric conductive layer of the foam mount provide an RF shielding over the window opening in the body of the aircraft.
As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, applying two different layers, or coatings on a foam mount can be time consuming and labor intensive. It would be advantages, therefore, to provide a method of coating selected portions of a foam mount with an electric conductive layer, and other selected portions of the foam mount with a non-electric conductive decorative layer that minimizes the time and the labor to apply the two layers to a foam mount.